Malawi

Women

Malawi ranks 142 out of 162 countries in the Gender Inequality Index, where a high rank equals high equality. Women should always be considered as a particularly vulnerable group though.

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Children

Malawi has a Workplace Index score of 5.3, a Marketplace Index score of 5.6 and a Community and Environment Index score of 5.1 in the Children’s Rights and Business Atlas, where countries receive scores between 0 and 10. A score closer to 0 reflects a need for basic children’s rights due diligence, while a higher score reflects a need for enhanced or heightened due diligence. Children should always be considered as a particularly vulnerable group though. 

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Persons with Disabilities

Due to differences in data collection and definitions it is difficult to compare countries on disability prevalence rates. Persons with disabilities should always be considered as a particularly vulnerable group though.

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Minorities and Indigenous Peoples

According to the World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, the main population groups in Malawi are Chewa, Nyanja, Lomwe, Yao, Tumbuka and Nyakyusa/ Ngonde. Malawi is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. Chewa constitute around 90 % of people in Central Region. Nyanja form the majority in the Southern Region and Tumbuka in the Northern Region. Three small but notable minorities reside in urban areas of the Southern Region: ‘Asians’, numbering several thousands; ‘coloureds’ (people of mixed descent) numbering a few thousand at most; and ‘Europeans’ numbering perhaps five or six thousand and holding managerial, social service and technical occupations, as well as disproportionate property ownership.

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Migrant Workers​

According to the ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers, migrant workers as a proportion of all workers is 3 % in the subregion Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Persons in Armed Conflict

Malawi ranks 46 out of 179 countries in the Fragile States Index, where a high rank equals high fragility. For monthly crisis updates, check out CrisisWatch.